I heard his words whispering in my ears. Young, adventurous, always wanting to follow his sister to the ends of the world. This was only a fragment of my mind, our happiest moments together. The crisp air, the quiet streets with only the sounds of birds and passing cars, something truly... nostalgic.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pvEj6GNSY
His eyes stared at me with admiration as he asked a simple question. "Can we go shopping!" I couldn't refuse, nodding my head with just as much excitement. After all, every week, on this exact day, we would do the same thing. Our parents never argued at this point in time, and handed us just enough to buy a few outfits and have lunch at the food court.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9dOQdGUjg
I figured he would get bored of it, being so young with such a short attention span, I guess he really enjoyed our time together. The mall we went to wasn't anything special; it was on the verge of being shut down, demolished, and rebuilt. If... no, when the mayor gets enough money, the new mall will be built.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11bJy9ySOK
So many people wanted this, investing their own money for the goal to be reached. What once had over thousands of daily visitors, is now reduced to less than hundred. That's why, every time we visit, the shop owners and staff know us by name. The mall begins to feel more spacious than it really is.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkt7vtxhC5
I always wanted to ask my brother, "How do you smile in a place that's dying like a flower?" I should of took the first opportunity I had, for it could've been my last as well. I realize now that I had far too many opportunities to sit down with him and ask questions.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IRhJGxUkO
"What are you wanting to buy today?" I asked him. "I want Time!"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgahrYuu5J
"Time? You can't buy time silly."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qjoff4gju
"It's a video game! I have the right console for it and everything!"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSIqLMTEnz
"Oh, that's what you meant. I guess we can take a look at the price when we come across it. I know buying more clothes would be useful, but we can switch things up for once."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLi8jKjxybT
"Yay!" he cheered. We stopped at the usual stores, looking at more things we wished we could have, rather than what we needed. It caught my eye, shimmering like a beacon in the night, a beautiful locket in the shape of a star, perfectly engraved with a message.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5WBzDJUaB
It was part of a collection, and it was the only piece in Melonia. "We don't have enough for that, you know." my brother commented. 'The Forgotten Palette of Stars' was a collection that held a story to each piece. It contained a line from the poem with the same name.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYWspygQKv
Every child has heard the poem growing up, but not one of them knows where it came from. It's rumored to have been found in a bottle, floating until it reached shore, where it then was rewritten and told like a fairy tale.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvVpvuf01w
"Do you think I'll ever get my hands on it?"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QrJsJexTj
"I... don't really know. If you get a good job in the future or something, you might have a chance. That's only if someone doesn't buy it before you."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlI3Vs7CoZ
"Yeah, thanks for the motivation."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxFC3LSk1H
We reached the game store moments later, my brother rushed inside without me, grabbing the game off the shelf. "Hey, they have it on sale!" Even so, it was still expensive, and half our shopping money was now gone, not including our food money.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4tNsGintM
My brother let me have the other half for myself. I entered a small antique store, searching for something to store in the cabinet inside my room. Most of the stuff here was too expensive, but there was one item I knew was cheap, for if it wasn't bought within the next week, it was going to be thrown out.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYJVMBLU9n
"She's beautiful." I said to myself, holding a doll with a half-shattered face. It was a doll that dressed so elegantly, but looked as if it was abandoned by the rest of humanity, forced to collect dust and rot away on a shelf.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd21KZXAk3u
"You seriously want that?" my brother asked. 52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6op0P0Yehm
"More than anything. I'll fix her someday, I'm sure of it. I think her name is Mai."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYwkoY8UYw
"Mai? Is that the best name you could come up with?"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnjm5UK54l
"Is it really that terrible?"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmduHrMGA7
"Well, not really, but you came up with much better names for things in the past... like that dog you found in our backyard."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxB7h1ULwiQ
"Mai is a perfect name. There is something inside of me that tells me that's her name."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTihydHo9d0
"Mom said the same thing about my name. You two are really weird."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeysjxECxEt
Our last stop was the food court. We visited the usual place, ordering the same lunch, but something seemed off about today. I looked towards brother, and he asked about going to the bathroom.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCT9RXXHV2b
I gave him the go ahead and watched him vanish from my sight. Somebody watched from the distance, approaching me as I was finally alone. A girl around the same age as me. "Noria!"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KVvZUeEvv
"Do I know you?"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsamdNbmra0
"Well, no. I watched your race yesterday! I was wondering if I could be your friend."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAe6otIsftu
"Friend? I guess it's okay. I can't go running off and doing things at the moment. I'm waiting for my brother to get back."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vmVbhEZw3
"You have a brother?"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7312SJlwul
"Yeah. Did you not see him sitting here with me?"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJJF1meNEj
"Oh, right. I wasn't going to ask you to go anywhere, just wanted to know if you wanted something else to eat."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Do7zNwgDm
"No, I couldn't accept something like that."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnr3MJznAj
"I-It's fine, I promise. I just want to chat for a bit. If your brother comes back, I'll get him something as well."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aJSs6Mhsm
I continued waiting for my brother, answering the strange girl's questions. She was too energetic for me, acting a little too friendly. I showed her the doll I bought and she loved it as well. Her father was a doll maker, but he only made males, for all he could get shipped to his shop was male clothing for them.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CFV8Q4OHi
"Does he make tomboy dolls? They wear male clothing."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCqSqPjVKj
"I could ask him if you like, but would you really be fine with her wearing something like that?"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6m41MNjhe4
"I haven't really made a personality for her yet, so I don't know for certain. I would need to cut her hair short, maybe give her a few bandages and cuts."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzZpUkBzY0
"I love that idea!"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7X0wrIv61
I looked at the clock on the wall, realizing it was getting late. "Sorry, but I need to look for my brother. We need to leave soon."52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIEOEaL0QP
"Alright. If I see you at school, I hope you won't mind if I say hello!"52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiRqFWwuBn
I headed up the steps, back to the first floor. I had only an hour to find him, and if I didn't, who knows what my parents would do.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5ECm5Lv0p
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